West End stars to perform free virtual concert next month!

A series of performances from West End stars will celebrate the finalists for this year's Stiles + Drewe Prize in a special online concert.

Appearing in the concert will be Allyson Ava-Brown (Hamilton), Luke Bayer (Everybody's Talking About Jamie), Lizzie Bea (Hairspray, West End), Louise Dearman (Wicked), Fra Fee (The Ferryman), Tyrone Huntley ( Jesus Christ Superstar), Melanie La Barrie (& Juliet), Natalie Paris ( Six the Musical), Laura Pitt-Pulford ( Seven Brides for Seven Brothers), Maiya Quansah-Breed ( Six the Musical), Lauren Samuels (Bend It Like Beckham), Zizi Strallen (Mary Poppins), Alex Thomas-Smith (Dear Evan Hansen), Rebecca Trehearn (Olivier Award winner for Showboat) and Marisha Wallace (Dreamgirls).

The musical director for the concert is Steve Ridley (The King and I), with mix engineering by Kevin Porée and video production by Bartek Podkowa.

The event will be presented as a virtual concert, to be streamed online via YouTube on Sunday 5 July at 6pm BST.

Award-winning composers Stiles and Drewe said: "Together with our fellow judges, to whom we are deeply indebted, we have whittled down this year's 167 entries to 15 finalists – each of which will be performed by a seasoned West End performer in our "virtual concert". With lockdown still inhibiting live theatre performances - which has prevented the normal theatrical presentation of the final songs – we are delighted that Mercury Musical Developments has agreed to take a different approach this year and that Joanne Benjamin and The Entertainment Business have generously co-sponsored the £1,000 cash prize.

"We hope that technology will be kind to us on the night, and that all our 15 finalists are heartened, encouraged and happy with the way that their work is to be showcased and celebrated."

The prize, which recognises an outstanding song from a new musical has been running since 2008, with this year's winner being announced on the night. It will be judged by Stiles and Drewe alongside Toby Marlow, Lucy Moss, Dan Gillespie-Sells and Cassie Kinosh. 

The songs in the final are:

"Bottle It" by Jonathan O"Neill & Isaac Savage from Tanya: A New Musical (performed by Lizzie Bea)

"Broken Guitar" by Meg McGrady & Zoe Morris from The Phase (performed by Alex Thomas-Smith)

"Colour" by Charli Eglinton from Colours (performed by Fra Fee)

"Heaven Can Wait" by Julian Woolford & Richard John from The Devil"s Advocate (performed by Maiya Quansah-Breed)

"Home" by Jonathan O"Neill & Isaac Savage from Windows in the West (performed by Louise Dearman)

"I'm Your Guy" by Amir Shoenfeld & Matthew Greene from Benny In Beta (performed by Tyrone Huntley)

"Juliet Kind Of Love" by Victoria Saxton & Charles Miller from Marriage a la Mode (performed by Zizi Strallen)

"Minnesota" by Julian Woolford & Richard John from Comrade Rockstar (performed by Luke Bayer)

"My First Ex-Boyfriend" by Richard Marsh, Miranda Cooper & Nick Coler from Son of Rambow (performed by Natalie Paris)

"Ride" by Freya Smith & Jack Williams from Ride (performed by Laura Pitt-Pulford)

"Shape The Future" by Thomas Sutcliffe from Borders (performed by Melanie La Barrie)

"Sparks" by Freya Smith & Jack Williams from The Limit (performed by Lauren Samuels)

"The Something Else" by Vikki Stone from #zoologicalsociety (performed by Allyson Ava-Brown)

"Two Ways To Australia" by Rachel Bellman & Elizabeth Sybil Charlesworth from The Dickens Girls (performed by Rebecca Trehearn)

"You Got A Problem" by Rob Green & Nic Harvey from Hoarding: A Musical (performed by Marisha Wallace)